'My River' workshops from Turning The Pages

The first step in a creative writing project about the Pages River was to take students outside of classroom to increase their powers of observation. In this short film 'My River' students demonstrate how they responded.

ABC Open will this Friday unveil two multimedia stories featuring the voices of students from Murrurundi and Blandford Public Schools, part of the annual Turning The Pages project.

Turning The Pages is an annual event 'where art, science and the local community come together to celebrate the significance of the Pages River within the Upper Hunter region'.

Joy Cooksey, who led creative writing workshops at both schools in August, said the workshops aimed to assist children to 'develop their powers of observation'.

"This is a really important aspect of writing for children, because these days a lot of children spend a lot of time inside on electronic gadgets," said Mrs Cooksey, a retired teaching principal from Belltrees Primary School.

The first step in the creative writing workshops was to take the children outside the classroom 'so the children can observe for themselves the sounds and the sights of the river, so that they can become more aware of the real world around them,' Ms Cooksey said.

"I think this is important because we need children to be more aware of their surroundings, and to take responsibility for caring for things like the rivers."

Notes turned into short stories

Students' notes from the observation exercise at the river were used to develop stories 'about what the river means to me, and to describe 'why I like the river, and why it's such an important part of my life'.

Megan Druitt, teacher of years four, five and six at Murrurundi Public School, said allowing students to participate in activities outside of the classroom strengthened the connection between their learning and their everyday lives.

"Having Joy facilitate this writing workshop today will mean that our students have the opportunity to work with a lady who has extensive educational experience, within her role as a teaching principal," Ms Druitt said.

"It also gives them an opportunity to work with someone who has a passion for the environment and can assist them in communicating their ideas through their writing."

ABC Open will unveil a video story at Friday's event, documenting the workshop process at Murrurundi Public School and highlighting a Moment Behind The Photo workshop with students from Blandford Public School.

Students from neighbouring Blandford Public School, who also participated in the Turning The Pages writing workshops with Mrs Cooksey, learned how to develop a compelling story from their own photographs.